Harrow has given the universe its youngest ever Timelord in the form of Matt Smith.

Smith was named as the new star of Doctor Who last Saturday. And as he lives in the borough with his sister, fans could well catch a glimpse of the Timelord at the Tube station or doing some shopping.

But Harrow will be hoping to avoid the fate of the Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey - it was destroyed by the Daleks during the Time War.

At 26, Smith is the 11th and youngest actor to man the Tardis and is set to start filming the popular series in the summer.

Things could have been very different for the Northampton-born actor, who wanted to pursue a career as a professional footballer until a back injury led to a change of heart.

After playing for Leicester City and Nottingham Forest youth academies, an inspiring teacher at his Northampton school encouraged him to take up the arts, and led to him studying drama and creative writing in Norwich.

The actor started his career on the stage working at the National Youth Theatre before joining the cast of Fresh Kills, at the Royal Court, London, in 2004. A string of roles followed and he also tackled the part of Lockwood in Alan Bennett's award-winning play The History Boys.

In 2007 Smith made his West End debut in Swimming with Sharks, alongside Hollywood veteran Christian Slater.

However, it was his performance in The Face, opposite Lindsay Duncan at London's Duke of York's Theatre, which lead to rave reviews and brought him to the attention of BBC directors.

Television roles followed with a lead part in BBC2's political drama Party Animals, and he acted opposite former Doctor Who assistant, Billie Piper, in BBC1's The Ruby in the Smoke. He also appeared in The Shadow in the North.

Have you seen the new Doctor Who in Harrow? If you have, let us know by emailing elaineokyere@trinitysouth.co.uk.